After a busy day I have quite a bit of cramping and pressure and have to relax/lie down in order to get relief

Still wear some regular clothes and some maternity clothes - at the awkward "I just look big in everything" stage

I crave crushed ice and normally have a cup every morning and every evening. I assume it has something to do with the very hot/humid weather we are having

Have started working on baby girl's nursery. Using some of the same stuff I had for Chase and bringing out coral in her accent pieces

Have enjoyed finding cute little outfits for her... have her dresser and closet all organized by size

My belly button officially sticks out

Chase now pats my boobs & belly and says "baby"... bless him :)

This whole pregnancy has been different. I have felt different physically and it seems to be effecting me differently emotionally. On the physical part, I started showing very early so have pretty much felt huge the whole time I've been pregnant. I had a lot more sickness (only feeling nauseated) this time so it felt more wearing on my body. At this stage I already feel like I did towards the very end with my first pregnancy. The doctor has assured me it is all very normal with a second pregnancy.

With having additional responsibilities at home with a toddler, relaxing of an evening hasn't been nearly as convenient as it was when I was pregnant with Chase either. I'm also pregnant during a different season of the year, so just the difference in temperatures while growing my own little human has been something new to face.

While everything has gone well and we have not had any scares this time around, I've found myself wishing away the weeks until she is born... and then of course, I feel guilty about that. I'm trying to savor the movement I feel inside of me during these last few weeks and the protective feeling I have for this unborn baby already. I don't want to wish away time when this could end up being my last time to experience it all.

Emotionally I'm torn between loving every stage Chase has gone through so far and enjoying him so much that I have not put near as much thought into our new baby. Chase was our first and after waiting 12 years to have a baby, every single thing we experienced with his pregnancy and birth was the most exciting thing ever! I'm sure it's normal - after all, we have more responsibilities now and having a 2 year old sure does tie up a lot of energy. I also have those feelings of guilt that I will have patience with both of them and still be able to show them love equally. I want Chase to know he is still my little buddy and don't want to go insane spreading my energy between a newborn, 2 year old, husband, household responsibilities and work responsibilities. I worry that I will not be enough, but just like I adjusted to being a Mom the first time around, I figure I will make it one way or another.

I'm so blessed with a hands-on husband that is so good with Chase and I know our little girl will have him wrapped around her little fingers as well. We are additionally blessed with family close by that enable me to go back to work all the while keeping my babies out of daycare. The security and financial blessing from that is so wonderful. My employer has (so far) been able to allow me to work from home nearly every Friday - giving me a little extra time to focus on my family and a designated day to schedule all of those appointments that come with pregnancy/children/home maintenance, etc.

At my last doctor's appointment, he was looking back through the records of my last pregnancy and noting things that I was experiencing last time around 30 weeks. It was the only appointment that I was stressed, crying and just overall emotional with everything I was feeling in that very moment. Interesting that I'm there - right now - at this exact stage in my pregnancy again! The good part about that is knowing the exciting things to come! 8 weeks off work... 8 weeks off work... 8 weeks off work... 8 weeks off work :) You get the point! Adding another baby to our family should just be the icing on the cake! :)

Monday, June 15, 2015

We celebrated Chase's 2nd Birthday while we were on vacation in Gatlinburg. His Daddy took him swimming and got him a fishing pole for his birthday. We had cupcakes with friends and Chase thought it was a best thing ever!

He found his cupcakes and was standing on the chair licking the icing off of one. When he knocked the cupcakes off the table, he ran over to Nathan and exclaimed, "I lick it!!" lol

He is at such a fun stage! He seriously has us laughing every day and keeps us on our toes to keep up with him.

He talks all of the time. He remembers names pretty well and talks about our friends and family often.

He loves music, singing and dancing.

He is obsessed with Mickey Mouse...he knows all of the names on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and probably has a lot of the episodes memorized.

He is learning to play basketball and is doing quite well getting those baskets.

His knees are constantly skinned up because "slow down" isn't something he understands yet and he is busy-busy-busy!

He still loves cuddles with his Daddy each evening as he is winding down and likes his Mommy to lay down with him while he goes to sleep. He says, "Momma - hold you!"

Every morning he comes to our bedroom once he wakes up and wants to cuddle with us or lay in our bed while we are getting ready for the day.

He is VERY attached to his blanket. He calls it his Key-key (from when we referred to it as his blankie)

He is obsessed with both of his Papas! Mommy & Daddy are old news when his Grandparents are around!

Chase is reserved with new things/experiences but can be hyper & outgoing when he is in his element.

He loves animals and playing with his tractors and wants to go to Daddy's barn and ride the tractor all of the time!

He likes his puppy dog and bosses him around pretty well.

Chase is memorizing his meal-time prayer and will randomly now fold his hands and say "God is good!" Yes He is, Chase!

(disclaimer: Nathan is fully clothed and NOT going to the bathroom in this picture!)

He was giving Chase a bath when Chase needed to quickly get out of the tub for a bathroom break. Chase copying his Daddy just cracked me up!

Saturday, June 13, 2015

I found this brown belt at a resale shop and it has been the best accessory! It was a little big when I bought it so I knew it would be perfect throughout my pregnancy.

This baby popped out early this time around! I feel like I can't breathe and we still have 17 weeks to go. I am, however, enjoying finding creative ways to dress my baby bump and embracing this growing stage. I love that so many of my regular clothes can be used during this time.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

We've been thinking about how to arrange things in our house with the new baby coming. Right after Chase broke his arm he started going through a spell of getting up several times a night so it seemed like maybe a good time to make the transition. I mean, he wasn't sleeping well anyhow!

We not only changed up the decor to resemble a big boy room, we moved him to a completely different room! And so far, he's loving it! He's been in there over 2 weeks now!

We were able to use items from other places in our house, so this "new" room was even cheap to create for him. Win-win for Daddy & Mommy! ;)

Bed: I decided it was silly to buy a toddler bed and then a twin/full once he was bigger. We already had a queen size bed available, so that's his new bed! He loves sleeping in our bed anyhow, so he just has his own big bed now!

Dresser: This was an old Goodwill find that we had been using in Nathan's closet. Because of some rearranging in our room as well, we didn't need it in there. Nathan painted it gray for me and replaced the knobs and I just love how it turned out!

Bookshelf: This was in our living room when we first got married. It wasn't being used, so we painted it gray as well to match Chase's new room.

Armoire: I got this for my 16th birthday. It is such a sturdy piece that we've never gotten rid of it even though it didn't match or we didn't have a need for it through the years. Turns out, (for now) we are using the closet space in this bedroom for some storage, so the armoire is functioning as Chase's closet.

Decor: I just repurposed most of the items, but I did purchase the wooden "C" from a facebook seller in our area. I made the large bicycle canvas (iron-on decal) and then just brought the other stuff in from his nursery. There is truly no rhyme or reason to the decorations, but it is all neutral pieces and exactly the look I was going for.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

A few weeks back we escaped for a little weekend away with our friends. We had a 40th Birthday to celebrate {Jimmy} and wonderful accommodations to help with the celebration!

We got a sitter and left Chase overnight {the 1st time he hasn't had at least one of us with him overnight}. Of course he did fine and we also enjoyed our time away! We splurged on a gorgeous room, steak dinner and EVEN room service! It was so nice to spend time with friends, BUT also just to have a little time away with my man! I recommend every couple try it every once in a great long while ;)

About Me

I love fashion, decorating and thrifting. This blog is a little about my world... maybe a few recipes, pictures that inspire my decorating touches, and other random thoughts about remixing my life! I share stories about my marriage and new baby...be prepared for the mushiness! :)